| Love it or hate it, PowerPoint is used all over the | | | | Gives MeaningA presentation with no structure is |
| world, every day, to create presentations. If | | | | like listening to someone ramble on about nothing |
| you're getting ready to design a deck of slides for | | | | in particular. It has no meaning, no message, and |
| your next presentation, here are ten mistakes | | | | five minutes after the ramble has finished, you've |
| you need to avoid to create an interesting speech | | | | forgotten everything about it anyway.Which is |
| your audience will love.Mistake #1: Don't Cram | | | | why a good presentation should have a clearly |
| Too Much On One Slide!Your audience has to | | | | defined structure. And by structure, I simply |
| listen to your speech, and read your slides at the | | | | mean a beginning, a middle and an end.Beginning: |
| same time. When they're doing one, they're not | | | | introduce yourself, your topic, why it matters and |
| likely to be doing the other. It's essential to keep | | | | why you're the right person to talk about it.Middle: |
| the slides simple.Don't have a twenty bullet points | | | | the meaty substance. Talk pros and cons. Talk |
| on one slide. Or a couple of hundred words. Or | | | | benefits. Talk features. Show them over and over |
| four or five pie charts. Or a bar chart full of | | | | why the message you're selling is essential. |
| specific detail.The best presentations make one | | | | Repetition is good.End: wrap it all up by referencing |
| clear point on each slide. Less is more!If you say | | | | back to the beginning of your presentation. Give |
| something during your speech that is clearly | | | | your audience a call to action - tell them what to |
| backed up by a fact on your slide, it adds | | | | do next.Remember the saying "tell 'em what |
| authority to the point you're making.For your next | | | | you're gonna tell 'em, tell 'em, tell 'em you just |
| presentation, try limiting yourself to a maximum | | | | told 'em."Mistake #7: Don't Read Your PowerPoint |
| of five words per slide, including the title. Or can | | | | Slides Aloud!Occasionally, I see presenters who |
| you ditch the words all together and illustrate your | | | | bring a slide on-screen, then read it, |
| point with a photo? Try dropping all the numbers | | | | word-for-word aloud to their audience.It's such a |
| from a chart and just showing the trend.Mistake | | | | bad thing to do. Your audience will be insulted, and |
| #2: Don't Use Bullet Points On Every Slide!I'm sure | | | | you're missing the chance to use your slides to |
| you've had to sit though one. You know, a | | | | back-up and give authority to what you're |
| presentation with endless slide after slide of bullet | | | | saying.If you think you have a habit of doing this, |
| points. I've sat through many. The only good thing | | | | the secret is all in the preparation. If you use a |
| about them is they offer a chance to grab 40 | | | | script to speak from, write the script first, then |
| winks.There's nothing interesting about bullet | | | | create your slides second, without copying chunks |
| points. They just encourage you to read from the | | | | of your script into PowerPoint. If you prefer to |
| slide, which insults an audience, and they take the | | | | speak from notes, then create a list of notes |
| audience's attention away from what you're | | | | using different wording than what's on your |
| saying.There are much better ways to illustrate a | | | | slides.Then practice in front of a live audience. |
| point rather than bullets. Why not find a good | | | | Maybe a partner, or a colleague. Get them to |
| photo that works as well (try or | | | | stop you every time you start reading from your |
| iStockPhoto.com). Or an interesting quote. Find a | | | | slides. You'll soon loose the habit.Mistake #8: Don't |
| chart that shows the trend you're talking about. | | | | Loose Your Audience With Ambiguous PowerPoint |
| Show a simple table with raw data. Show logos of | | | | Slides!All slides need a clear, simple path for the |
| companies using the products you're selling (try | | | | audience's eye to follow. When slides are filled with |
| BrandsOfTheWorld.com). Show newspaper | | | | content that looks the same (for example, a long |
| clippings. Or don't show anything - sometimes, you | | | | list of bullet points in the same type, color and |
| need your audience to focus clearly on what | | | | size) they get lost in the detail.By making the |
| you're saying.Mistake #3: Don't Make Your Font | | | | importance of different parts of your slide clear, |
| Size Too Small!When you're designing slides at | | | | you'll instantly improve your audience's |
| your computer, it's easy to forget how your | | | | understanding of the message you're |
| slides are actually going to be used. While 14pt | | | | communicating.Here's three of my favorite ways |
| text may look large enough sat in front of your | | | | of improving the clarity of your slides.Contrast: |
| computer, will it be visible from the back of a | | | | make more important items stand out. Make the |
| room when you present?Just because you're | | | | font size bigger or brighter. Allow lots of space |
| projecting on to a 12' x 9' screen doesn't mean | | | | around the most important items.Highlights: |
| it's going to appear huge to everyone in the room. | | | | highlight important items with a different color. For |
| In fact, it's the opposite. Sat close to a PC, the | | | | example, highlight rows in a table as you talk |
| screen almost fills your vision. From the back of a | | | | about them.Simplify: reduce the number of words |
| conference room, however, even a huge | | | | or bullets or pictures in a slide. Split one complex |
| projected screen seems tiny.My tip: when you've | | | | slide into several simpler ones.Brainstorm your |
| designed your slides on your PC, stand up, take | | | | own ideas for more!Mistake #9: Don't Irritate |
| five steps back and view your presentation. (You'll | | | | Your Audience With Annoying PowerPoint |
| find a remote mouse useful for this.)Can't read | | | | Animations!Yes, PowerPoint does include lots of |
| your slides now? Neither will your audience. Go | | | | flashy effects in its custom animations |
| into your master template, and double the text | | | | palette.Yes, you can buy add-ons if you want |
| size. Now try again.Mistake #4: Don't Use | | | | even more.No, you shouldn't use them!Like sounds |
| PowerPoint's Clipart!I can only think of unprintable | | | | and clip-art, over used animations in your |
| comments to make about the clip art supplied | | | | presentation look amateurish.They distract the |
| with PowerPoint. It's amateurish. It's badly | | | | audiences attention away from what you're |
| designed. And there's such little choice, you see | | | | saying as they focus on the screen. And do lots |
| people shoehorning images into their slides which | | | | of random effects impress your audience? No, |
| really don't fit the message or theme of their | | | | never.Stick with one or two that you like. I tend |
| presentation.My solution: use professional stock | | | | to use Wipe Right and Box Out. That's it.It's the |
| photography.My favorite suppliers are and Both | | | | same with slide transitions. Find one you like and |
| have almost a huge variety of photos ranging | | | | use it throughout your presentation.Concentrate |
| from animals to landscapes, landmarks to | | | | your efforts on giving a great presentation, not |
| technology. Go to both sites and have a look | | | | experimenting with all out PowerPoint's animation |
| around.Is it expensive? Not at all. You pay | | | | styles!Mistake #10: Don't Use The Amateurishly |
| between a couple of dollars per picture, which is | | | | Designed Templates Supplied With PowerPoint!Like |
| nothing.Tip: find a photo on a white background. In | | | | most of the artwork supplied with PowerPoint, it's |
| PowerPoint, click the transparency tool on the | | | | awful. Why didn't Microsoft hire someone to |
| white area of the photo to cut the object out so | | | | create some decent templates to bundle in with |
| it merges seamlessly with your presentation's | | | | the software. Hey, Microsoft, I'm for hire if you |
| background.Mistake #5: Don't Use Sound Effects | | | | want me!The second-worst habit is finding free |
| In Your PowerPoint Presentation!Yes, PowerPoint | | | | ones on the web. I can't remember ever seeing |
| does include exciting sound effects like | | | | some nicely designed PowerPoint templates that |
| (wait-for-it) a race car! A typewriter! A pane of | | | | someone is giving away for free. The quality is |
| glass being smashed! Gravy!OK, I made that last | | | | usually around about Microsoft's level!The solution? |
| one up.Just resist all temptation and don't use any | | | | Do it yourself, or hire a pro.Try creating |
| of them in your presentation.They'll make you | | | | something simple. A graduated background, |
| sound like an amateur who has just discovered | | | | maybe, with your company's logo in the bottom |
| some new features in PowerPoint and want to do | | | | corner. Or a good royalty-free stock photo with a |
| everything possible to make them fit into your | | | | semi-transparent tinted box laid over the top. |
| presentation whether they help or hinder.And, | | | | Both solutions could look good.Avoid these ten |
| believe me, they hinder.There's not a lot more I | | | | mistakes and you'll give a much better |
| can really say about sound effects. Just please, if | | | | presentation the next time you speak.To learn |
| you get nothing else from this article, understand | | | | about and discuss any PowerPoint related topics, |
| this: never, never, use sound effects in | | | | visit the new PowerPoint Forum message board. |
| PowerPoint.Mistake #6: Don't Hack Together A | | | | The board covers all topics for PowerPoint users, |
| PowerPoint Presentation At Random! Structure | | | | from beginners to advanced. |